Secretly
by benova13
Summary: A look back into what could have been the start of the tumultuous relationship that was brewing between Family Affair couple Rae and Joe. Fluff/One Shot.


_I was listening to the J-Lo album awhile back and an idea had hit me when I listened to this song. I've had people ask about Joe/Rae in terms of sequels and really I don't have plans to bring them back. But with this song, I thought I could give you guys a little bit of what you want and do a prequel one-shot. Nothing too much, just some flirty, fluffy goodness._

_Disclaimer: I only own original characters in this story. I don't know anyone mentioned personally. I write for enjoyment and not for profit. Songs used for this story is "Secretly" by Jennifer Lopez and "Can You Handle It?" by Usher._

Secretly

It was Homecoming night. Rae Allen dreaded this night, as it was always packed and filled with constant parties. Parties, booze, sex, and football. She groaned as she looked for a dress to wear to the dance later on. Her mom had sent her some money this week to buy one, even though she didn't want to go. Rae ended up buying two dresses, as they were having a clearance sale at Charlotte Russe. Hell, she didn't even have a date. What was the point of going? To be seen? Rae shook her head in thought.

Her friend Nona encouraged her to go. She didn't have a date either, and it beat spending the weekend cooped up in the dormitory. They roomed together, and Rae knew just as well as she did that they would hate each other by Sunday if they stayed inside and bitched all weekend. Plus, Joe wanted Rae to come to the game. He was starting.

"If it wasn't for J, I would have tried to take my ass home." Rae grumbled, looking through the couple of dresses she bought.

"Key word. Tried. Isn't your parents on that Mexican cruise?" Nona asked her.

"Ugh. Fuck." Rae rolled her eyes as she shut the door to the wall closet. "Well at least at the game we can people watch."

"And you know that's NEVER boring."

Rae's phone vibrated, signaling a text message. Picking the phone up, she saw that it was Joe. Why he was texting her, she didn't know. She had just seen him in class a little while ago. Sighing, she opened the text.

_You going to the dance?_

_Unfortunately. Nona wants to go, she said it'd do me good. I'd rather read 'To Dance With the White Dog'_

She knew Joe would guffaw in laughter at that text, but that's how she felt. She'd rather read then watch a bunch of teens/young adults get shitfaced and crazy. Plus, reading the book would cross off one of what was many things on her school checklist. She had an essay due in two weeks on the book. Since it was homecoming, none of the professors assigned much homework, if any. Rae had no homework this weekend, which of all weekends, wanted so much homework she couldn't stand it.

_I swear to God you are the most boring person on Earth. Let loose and have fun. Nones is right, it would do you some good to get out and live. Like you know how to do that._

_FUCK YOU._

Rae growled the statement as she texted him, then tossed the phone to her desk. Nona howled in laughter watching her friend get aggravated at Joe. Nona had told her once before she thought that Joe was secretly crushing on her, but Rae dismissed the idea. But the way he aggravated her and kept doing it, Nona was sure she was right.

"I think he gets off on how he pisses you off."

"He can fuck off somewhere." Was Rae's response.

Nona dismissed Rae's comments and commanded her to the bathroom, where the two did each other's hair and makeup. It was already going on seven o'clock, and the dance was starting at nine. Rae's hair was put up in a french bun, with wisps of hair framing her face. Rae french braided Nona's hair for her as well. Once that was done, the girls slipped on their dresses. Rae's dress was a one shoulder black dress that shimmered. It stopped midthigh, and Rae topped it off with strappy black heels.

Before they knew it, it was time to head out. The dance was being held on the other side of the campus. Grabbing a black clutch, Rae put her necessary things in there and the girls headed out. Within minutes they had arrived and the place was packed. Rae made sure to avoid the picture booth they had put out in the front of the building.

Weaving their way through the crowd, Rae was quick to find a somewhat decent place to hide out. She absolutely did not want to be seen, or be bothered. T.I.'s "You Don't Know Me" was playing, which definitely set the tone for this dance. Being they were in Atlanta and all, it was a good choice. If anything, Rae knew they would play some good stuff.

"You are seriously going to sit here and mope?" Nona asked.

"Well shit, I can jam out. Just don't want no one to bother me."

"Okay, well I'm going to dance. I'll be back."

Nona took off into the dance crowd as Rae leaned back onto the wall. People watch and jam. That would be all she would do. Rae was never the one to go out and party much. It just wasn't her. She avoided Homecoming all weekend last year, and just stayed in her dorm doing homework, sleep and watch One Tree Hill reruns. While lost in thought, Rae scanned where she could and spotted him. Joe, being the football star he is, was surrounded by a flock of girls trying to get his attention.

And damn, did he look nice. Rae shook the thought out of her head. _Of course he looks nice, the hoes are all over him_. Rae shook her head again, trying to get these thoughts out of her system. She was acting jealous now. Joe was just her friend. Classmates. Daily annoyance. But seriously, Rae did agree with her subconscious that he does clean up nice. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and he dressed in a button down grey shirt and black slacks.

Some time had passed and the same thought continued to cloud Rae's head in terms of how nice Joe looked tonight. Maybe in the back of her mind, Rae actually thought he would be good to someone. Just not her. Rae wasn't interested in dating at the moment. Hell, she was only nineteen. It was her sophomore year at Georgia Tech, and she had better things to do then chase boys. Joe was a good buddy and that was about it.

_I don't know why you keep lying to yourself, Rae_ She thought. She continued to look in Joe's direction when he noticed her. Typical Rae, standing in a corner all alone. Butterflies began to form in her stomach, confirming Rae's denial. Catching herself, Rae waved in his direction before picking up her cell phone and pretending to text someone. He couldn't know what she was thinking. Then she was ugly to him earlier. It confused her.

_It's like I'm lost_  
_I don't know_  
_But this feeling that I have about you_  
_Will you ever know?_

_Secretly_  
_I'm wanting you_  
_And I'm hoping you want me too_  
_I smell your scent across the room_  
_And I can't wait to get next to you_

Maybe Nona was right about him crushing on her. But why? Rae was your class nerd. She liked to read, was a good girl. Joe was a football star, attractive jock. He came from Florida, and it seemed the hoes came with him. He was always the center of attention, and almost always had a girl on his arm.

He always joked with Rae though. Getting under Rae's skin was one of his favorite things to do. Joe knew just how to unnerve her with one smart ass comment. Rae couldn't count how many times she has thrown something at him, or texted his angry comments back.

_Why can't you admit to yourself you want him? You're upset about the attention he's getting, yet your heart pounds when he sees you._ Rae shook her head. "I don't want him!" She said aloud.

Putting her hand over her mouth, Rae's face flushed a light shade of red, hoping no one noticed her. She watched as Joe was trying to break away from the small crowd that gathered around him. Rae just knew he was going to come this way. And probably chastise her for moping in the corner, just like Nona was doing. Rae had her comebacks though. For Joe, she always had to be on her toes. That's probably why he keeps coming back to her. She didn't take no shit from him, and it was a challenge for him to spar words with her. Damn, Nona's logic was getting to her.

This was going to bode for an interesting night, for sure.

_Whatever I see (when I look at you across the room)_  
_Whatever I hear (I wonder if he loves me too)_  
_Whatever I do (I just think about you for hours)_

_Oh baby_  
_And it's got me thinking of you_

Rae's thoughts continued to think about Joe as she watched him weave through the crowd. He kept getting stopped, Rae thought that it was mainly other classmates just wishing him luck for the game tomorrow. Kissing his ass. Rae groaned under her breath at the thought. That was why Joe was the way he was. People kissed his ass because of who his family was, then he played football. Joe always got constant attention.

Rae secretly hoped that he would spend some time with her. If anything, Joe made her feel like a part of the group. Of course they had mutual friends, but Rae was usually so quiet, Joe was always inviting her to come along. Whether it was late night dinner at some joint downtown, or a group movie, he always made sure to ask her if she would like to come. Sometimes Rae turned him down, to which they would bicker. She knew his intentions was good, just wanting to include her in things. Rae guessed Joe was right. She should live a little, and don't know how to do it.

Joe was talking about spring break already recently. He wanted to invite their small group of friends back to Pensacola for the week. His cousin Dwayne had a timeshare on the Gulf coast, and it would be available on the week they were off. Rae didn't think she would go. Now if Dwayne was actually there, Rae would be hauling ass to Pensacola. She smiled at the thought of it.

"What you smilin' about?" her classmate Darius asked her.

Rae looked at him for a moment, before speaking. "Oh, I'm just enjoying the party. How about you?"

"Same. I'm hitting the afterparty later. You gon' come?"

"No. It was like pulling teeth to even come here."

Darius talked to her for a few minutes, leaving Rae even more annoyed. She knew for sure Darius liked her. The one person she didn't want to see was all in her grill. Joe needed to hurry up and get here. Looking towards him, he was a few feet away. He flashed an unapologetic smile to her, before talking with yet another girl. Rae groaned under her breath. Once Joe would get here, Darius would leave.

_Secretly_  
_I'm wanting you_  
_And I'm hoping you want me too_  
_I smell your scent across the room_  
_And I can't wait to get next to you_

_Whenever you speak_  
_Whenever you move_  
_Whenever you breathe_  
_Baby_  
_Let me touch you_  
_Please_

Rae breathed a sigh of relief when Joe made his way to her, putting an arm around her as he said hello.

"So you did make it."

"Yea, how did I do?"

Joe looked at her up and down before nodding. "Not bad. You clean up nice."

"Well I'll be damned, that makes two of us." Rae rolled her eyes. Darius cleared his throat.

"See you tomorrow Anoa'i." The two fist bumped before he took off.

"I think he's jealous." Joe smirked at his friend.

Rae giggled before continuing on. "Yea, he annoys me. He'll be in my grill, yet won't ask me out. Not like I'll say yes."

"Don't." He looked at her.

Rae couldn't shake the thoughts or feelings she had been fighting all night. She fought her impulse to place her hands on him. Clasping her hands together, they looked onto the dance crowd. Now with Joe accompanying her, she felt at ease. Important, even. Joe came to her on his own while the other girls flocked to him. Rae noticed how close she was to him; she was practically leaning on him. She blushed at the gesture and stepped away.

"You ok?"

"Yea..." She nervously giggled. "I didn't realize, I was leaning on you."

Joe smiled at her, leaving her even more nervous. This wasn't Rae. Never nervous, always on her toes. Now she was acting crazy, like she didn't even know what to do with herself. _See, you realize you want him, now you're acting goofy_. She thought to herself.

"I don't mind, come.." He brought Rae against his larger frame.

"But they will thin..."

"I don't give a fuck what they think. You're my buddy, Rae. After all, maybe the student body will think you're actually cool."

Rae shoved him. "Contrary to popular belief I AM cool. I just don't smoke, drink or do stupid, crazy shit."

Joe laughed at the spunky brunette. "Easy, I know that."

"Oh yea, why did you say it like that."

Fire was in Rae's eyes, letting Joe insult her like that. She was too proud for her own good, but it actually offended her.

"I was just making a joke, I'm sorry." He ran a hand through his pony tail.

"No, I'm sorry..." Rae said quickly, noting her error. Placing her hands on his chest, her breath sharpened at her bold move. "Really J, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have."

_Secretly_  
_I'm wanting you_  
_And I'm hoping you want me too_  
_I smell your scent across the room_  
_And I can't wait to get next to you_

_Secretly_  
_I'm wanting you_  
_And I'm hoping you want me too_  
_I smell your scent across the room_  
_And I can't wait to get next to you_

Inside, Rae was cursing herself for letting herself get out of hand. Then again, this was how she always was to Joe. Joe was trying to show her a good time, and being Rae, she was ruining it. She really did feel like an ass.

"I ruin everything." She moped, continuing to feel guilty.

"You're just complicated. That's all." Joe shrugged.

"Complicated? Nice." Sarcastic Rae was back.

"Okay. For starters, you say one thing but your actions say another. I don't know who you're fooling. It ain't me."

"It's not a show, asshole." Rae said, immediately bluffing.

Joe smirked at her, making her blood boil. This was what Rae hated. She knew Joe saw right through her bullshit. Other times, her attitude chased people away. That's what she wanted; in a way Rae would call herself antisocial. Maybe Joe liked the challenge Rae seemed to be throwing out there. That's what Rae was secretly hoping, whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not.

"I didn't say it was. Maybe its just you. Let's stop it for awhile, okay? Listen, a good song is playing. Don't you like the song?"

Usher's "Can You Handle It?" was playing in the background. The last fucking song Rae needed to hear this evening. Playing on top of the thoughts she had been fighting with all evening. Taking a deep breath, she shrugged.

"Its alright." Rae continued to bluff.

"Is it alright enough for you to dance with me?"

_Are you serious?_ Rae felt like maybe he was trying to tell her the same thing. Trying to gather her jaw from the floor and compose herself, she answered Joe. "Um...yea, sure...I can't dance worth a shit tho."

Joe smiled at her in response. Extending his hand, Rae took it and he led her to the crowded dance floor. He turned around to face her, placing his hands on her hips. Rae let out a sharp hiss, hoping he didn't hear her. Biting her lip, she looked up at him with uneasiness. She shakily put her hands on his broad chest, not sure if that was the right place to put them.

"Slow dance is more of a sway, just relax. Put your hands on my shoulders, but here is fine too." Joe said, acknowledging her hands was on his chest. Rae obliged moving her small hands to his shoulders.

"Move left, right...left...right..." He murmured in her ear. Rae was quick to figure out the rhythm of the slow dance to the song.

_Can U handle it? If I go there baby with you? _ Usher was singing in the background.

Right now, Rae didn't even know the answer.

_You smell so good_  
_I just wanna ... kiss you_  
_I wanna ... lay with you_  
_I don't know how to tell you_  
_But secretly_  
_I want you_  
_I just wanna get next to you_

Rae leaned against Joe, with her head resting on his chest. The song did get her in the zone, hell he asked her to dance to this song, what could go wrong? The scent of the cologne he was wearing drowned Rae even further in her lost thoughts. For right now, she just wanted Usher to do the talking for her. Until she was able to tell him, she would just live in the moment where he held her close as they swayed.

Looking up at him once more, she saw that he was content as well. A part of Rae wondered how it would really be if they were to get together. The fighting would probably be worse, and they would cause more drama then Jerry Springer. Rae smirked at the thought. She did enjoy the friendship, but maybe they were better off this way. Sneaking in moments like this was definitely okay in her book. She felt the eyes on her, knowing so many girls would kill to be in her position.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yea..." She sighed.

The way his hands touched her body, how close they were was driving Rae insane. It was taking all she could do not to drag him back to the dorm room. Something definitely came over her and she couldn't blame Usher or anyone else for it. She liked him as more then a friend and it startled her.

The song ended, leaving Rae wanting more. The two broke apart, with her thanking him for the dance. Rae turned to leave when she saw Nona watching her. Looking down with a smile, Rae walked up to her.

"You two looked good together! Seriously! You need to go on a date or something! You were adorable!" Nona went on.

"It was just a dance, Nones. I'm good, and it was nice." Rae's bluff continued on.

"Tell yourself that. I know you're full of shit." Nona called her bluff.

Rae and Nona left the dance a hour later, deciding to grab a bite to eat before heading to bed for the night. When they returned back to the dorm, Rae saw she received a text from Joe, saying he had a good time with her. She smiled at the text, and decided to respond.

_I did too, thank you. It was real nice._

She closed the phone and sighed for the final time. It was a interesting turn of events for the night, and little did Rae know what the future held for her because of it.


End file.
